Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a lever-based connection assembly for engaging resisting components. More particularly, certain embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrical connector for connecting electrical contacts contained in separate housings.
In certain applications, electronic components require the mating of several electrical contacts, such as in automotive electrical components. The electronic component includes a connector housing that holds several electrical contacts, while a mating connector housing holds an equal number of electrical contacts. One connector housing includes male electrical contacts, while the other connector housing includes female electrical contacts. As the number of electrical contacts to be mated increases, it becomes difficult to fully join the mating connector housings because of friction between the mating electrical contacts. The connector housings are formed with an electrical connector that includes a lever-and-gear system to pull together the connector housings in order to overcome the frictional resistance created by the mating electrical contacts.
A conventional electrical connector includes a lever and first and second connector housings including electrical contacts. The first connector housing is configured to be positioned inside the second connector housing. The lever includes a handle and two lever arms that extend from, and are rotated alongside, end walls of the first connector housing. The second connector housing is slid onto and encloses the first connector housing and the lever arms to a point where the electrical contacts resist further insertion. Each lever arm includes a cam arm with gear teeth. Racks are situated within the second connector housing with each rack corresponding to the gear teeth of one of the cam arms. As the first connector housing is inserted into the second connector housing, the lever is oriented in a fixed position so that the cam arms are slid between the racks unobstructed and aligned to engage the racks.
As the handle is rotated in a first direction, the racks and cam arms engage and pull the first connector housing and lever downward into the second connector housing, mating the electrical contacts. Alternatively, as the handle is rotated in a second direction, the first connector housing is pulled upward out of the second connector housing, unmating the electrical contacts.
In order to maintain the lever in the necessary fixed position prior to insertion into the second connector housing, some electrical connectors have apertures in upper portions of the lever arms that receive, and are retained by, deflectable latches extending outward from the end walls of the first connector housing. When the first connector housing is positioned within the second connector housing, the latches are biased inward into the first connector housing to release the lever arms from the fixed position. However, to use the deflectable latches with the apertures requires the lever arms to be in a lowered position about the first connector housing. In order to position the first connector housing downward into the second connector housing, the lever is rotated upward to an upright position above the first connector housing. The lever therefore takes up more space and interferes with surrounding components when connecting the electrical contacts, thus limiting the number of components, with which the electrical connector is used.
Other electrical connectors maintain the lever in a fixed position with the lever arms extending upright from the first connector housing prior to insertion into the second connector housing so that the lever is rotated downward about the first connector housing to connect the electrical contacts. The lever arms include apertures near the cam arms that receive, and are retained by, protrusions extending out from the end walls of the first connector housing. When the first connector housing is positioned within the second connector housing, the lever is pushed with a force necessary to disengage the apertures from the protrusions to release the lever from the fixed position. However, the protrusions are small and engage only a small amount of surface area of the lever arms. Therefore, when slight forces are applied to the lever, the lever arms are prematurely released from the protrusions such that the lever is no longer in the fixed position. The protrusions also quickly wear down until the protrusions do not engage the lever at all.
Therefore, a need exists for an electrical connector that overcomes the above problems and addresses other concerns experienced in the prior art.
Certain embodiments of the present invention include an electrical connector having first and second housings. The first and second housings have rear ends configured to receive electrical contacts, and front ends configured to be matable with one another to join corresponding electrical contacts. The first and second housings are movable between initial and final positions, at which corresponding electrical contacts partially and fully mate, respectively. The electrical connector includes a lever member having cam arms with retention apertures that engage the first housing and retention elements that engage the second housing. The cam arms move the first and second housings between the initial and final positions as the lever member is rotated through a range of motion about a rotational axis defined by the retention apertures. The first housing has deflectable ledges located along opposite sides of the cam arms. The deflectable ledges retain the cam arms in a fixed position when the first and second housings are in the initial position and thereby limit movement of the lever member within the range of motion. The second housing has rails therein that align with and deflect the deflectable ledges away from the cam arms as the first housing is moved from the initial position into the second housing.